The Zephyr girls basketball team said good-bye to its seniors last Friday, hosting Northampton Area High School in the send-off game.

It was a game in which the Kids bolted out to an early lead, taking the steam out the Zephs in the first quarter. However, Whitehall fought back to cut it to two late in the game, but the Kids sank their foul shots in crunch time to cement the victory, 59-53.

The Zephs comeback was sparked by their core of seniors as Madison Kelly pumped in 18 points. Head coach Rick Worman said his point guard ignited the rally, helping them close the gap.

"She had a terrific game tonight," said Worman.

They also got a superb performance from senior Nicole Umbenhauer who sank 14 points from the field. The senior has been on fire from the field lately, averaging double figures the last few games.

Worman believes she has the ability to build on her recent success and tap even greater potential.

"I think she's going to continue to get better," said Worman.

To combat the Kids play from the perimeter, Worman said they went to a smaller line-up in the second half, utilizing three guards to match up with the Kids, a strategy that was aided by the work of senior guard Kelly Erie.

Kelly did a really nice job defensively," said Worman, indicating she threw a blanket over a player who had double digits in the first half.

Erie contributed on the offensive end as well, tallying five points.

He said the team played better defense in that second half, helping to fuel the comeback. While they drew close, they could never "get over the hump," a situation that's plagued them for a large part of the year.

"It's unfortunate we couldn't come all the way back and win on senior night," said Worman.

They also said farewell to Kayla Cunningham, Brook Mellinger, Kelly Spanitz, and Brianna Walker, all of whom helped shape the program.

Mellinger picked up five points in her final home game.

Worman said that Northampton has improved since the two teams met in the beginning of the year, a game the Zephs won, 38-34.

While wins have been hard to come by this season, Worman also has seen signs of progress in his own team. They have made consistent strides as they battle some fierce competition in the Lehigh Valley Conference.

"I think we're playing much better, too." said Worman.

In Tuesday's game against Nazareth Area High School, the Zephs dropped their 16th game of the season, losing 51-28.

The Zephs were led by Umbenhauer who scored 10 points, while Kelly finished with nine. Freshman Taylor George had five points, while Walker and Karly Klein each dropped in two.